Mesomobilization: Organizing and Framing in Two Protest Campaigns in West Germany

The concept of mesomobilization is introduced as a specification to the prevailing literature on mobilization processes. Mesomobilization actors have a dual function: They first provide the structural basis for mobilization by coordinating micromobilization groups and collecting the resources required for action and then try to achieve a cultural integration of the various groups by developing a master frame to interpret the triggering event in a way that is conducive to mobilization. Two empirical cases: the mobilization against U.S. President Roland Reagan's visit in Berlin in 1987 and the mobilization against the yearly meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in Berlin in 1988 are investigated to develop hypotheses that indicate what structural and cultural factors are important to a successful mobilization.